Milk mixer



1930. w. L. RlCKARD 1,772,323

" MILK MIXER Filed Nov. 22, 1929 iNVENTOR BY E 4 TORNEY' Patented Aug.s, 1930 ENT O ,wiLLIAML. ,RIGKARD, or WASHINGTON, DISTRICT, or" COLUMBIAi MIIJKMIXER A plicatien fi led l l'ovember 2i8,'192 9. Seria1 N0.409,17 7.

" The invention relatesto simple and efiicient' mechanism, for effectingthe substanof milk, or 'otherfluids including elements :;which tend toseparate, theapparatus comprising a pluralityof sets of impact surfaces,each set'comprising a meshwork or multiplicity of intersecting barsseparated by interspaces, the sets being superposed and 1aspacedapart,the bars or meshwork of one;

set being disposed in crisscross relat on with those oftheadjacent set,so that, when the milk or other liquid is poured onto the up per impactsurface, the liquidis broken upinto a multiplicity of streams which arediverted by the bars into engagement'with the;

7 bars of the next succeeding meshwork, so

, that, when even as fewas two of the mesh preferably round or half rond' in c work impact surfaces are employed, a thor- 29 oughly uniformadmixture ofthe ingrediQ ents of the milk or other liquid will be ef-'-i i 1, which are disposed substantially normal fected. f I Y Y The,invention is illustrated in the (accompanyingdrawings, in which j 25:Fig. 1 is aperspective of the-apparatusas applied to a milk strainer; A

Fig. 2 .1s a plan View of the outer meshwork or impact member."

Fig, 3 is a'similarview of the inner impact 1 I ing'with the'outerbasket-likememberis an 30 member.

' Fig. 4 is a vertical elevation of the mem ber shOWn-in'FigBI 5 Fig. 5is a 'fr' gmentary sectional elevation of the two impact members in'assembled re:

V lation." r r In preferredform', the apparatus is employed inconjunction with either the strainers or the weigh cans into fwhlch the,milk is poured inbullgas it isreceived from thesource of supply, and,as stated, the purpose of the invention is to effect a thoroughadmixingof the ingredientsof the milk,so"

' as toobtain a uniform distribution of said ingredients, therebyenabling typical and '5, correct samples of the to taken eitherimmediately after thestraimng operatlon'or after the weighing of themilk] In thepar- I ticular embodiment of the inventionillustrated, themixingapparatus is associated 50 with a andard strainensuch a comm yemployed in dairies and into which the milk H p I ilS clumped-in bulk.As illustrated, the tially uniform admixture of the'ingredientsbottom,'which are usually formed of perforated metal plates brazed orsoldered to the a supporting framework. In the upper portions ofthecorners of the strainer are secured recessed blocks2, which serve assup- I ports for the 'lnlxingjdevi'ce; Said mixing device comprisestwosets'of spaced impact surfaces, pre'ferably in the formof nestedbasket-like elements formed of intersecting barsor mesh-workfsodisposedthat the bars ofoneof the elements are disp'osedat an angle tothe bars of'the other element. As

' shown, thejouter basket-likereceptacle comprisesa frame 10 madeup ofbars offmetal,

tion and the 'sides'and bottom are composed of a meshworkor series ofintersecting bars orat rightangles to the edges of tlie framee work 10.The corner posts of the side members of the framework are extended and"bent,

into hooklikef-orm, as zit-12, to engage the socketed lugs or brackets 2carried by the strainer,-so that thebasket-like member will be suspendedwithin'the strainer. Cooperatinner member ofthe same general construdmember comprises" a frame 13 formed ,of metal bars with the sides andbottom of the basket-like member formed of a meshwork 14of'inters'ecting bars, which, however, inj jsteadof being disposednormal to the edges of the basket, are diagonal'or inclined with respectthereto, so that the resultant meshworkis of the diamond type and theseveral [bars of the inner basket likefmember are disposed at angles ofsubstantially '{i5-to the corresponding bars in the adjacent sections iof theouter h'asketJike receptacle. The, in: V

nermemberor receptacleis of smaller dimensions'than the outer receptacleor basketdike member, so that the two are separated from each other onall sides. I The cornerposts 2 13 the inner basket-like member areextended and bent into hooks 15, which engage the upper members of theframe of the outer basket-like member, so that the inner member is heldin spaced relation within the outer member, as particularly illustratedin Figs.

. land 5.

I considerable force, so that the massof milk. is brokenup into smallstreamswhich'flow.

. the. streams meet and commingle, thereby Whenthe two members of themixing device are assembled within the strainer, in the relation shownin Figs. 1 and 5, and the milk is dumped in bulk into the strainerfro'mthe cans in which it is shipped, it will be seen that the relativelyheavy body of-milk pouring out of the can falls andimpacts the barsoftlie inner basket-like mem er with .between' ;tli e bars or meshworkthe round su fa s of the ba i g t efl the streams laterally in alldirections, so ,that

.tendingzto distribute the ingredients of the ,milkiuniformlythroughoutthe mass. After passing through the vfirst grid-like impact ,device, thebody of milk encountersgthe next .subiacent grid-like impact surface,whereit is again hroken up nto various streams and diverted in differentdirections from the original lines of diversion by reason 3013 ,thediagonal or diamond mesh of the grid :forma- V Ltion of the lower impactmember, the ultima res i g that t en r bo y of milk,, after passingthrough the two gridlike impact devices, will be found to besubstantially uniform in its consistency, that is :to say, all of theingredients, both liquid and solid, will be uniformly distributedthroughoutthe'body and a sample taken at random will contain gtheproperproportions of the various ingredients. I

. It will be noted that the twoeleinents of the mixing device areseparatable,.so-that Y they ,may beremoved and replaced, with fa-,cilityand lend themselves ,to .readycleansingjand sterilization.YV-hile the two elements -9 =th i paq m x r av sbee i ust at assubstantially basket shaped, itwill be under- 1 stood ,that the,invention ,is not limited to h s Part cula te m, bu th ap and m ofconstructing the individual elements may be changedto meet the varyingconditions of; use, the one necessary'conditionto be obsernedlisthat-the grid-like elements hespaced. or sepa a ed omi ac other nd that:the, bars of ;-the ,respectiveelements be arranged in di fierentangular relation, preferably .erisscross with respect to eaqhothe io hep1 1"- ose :hereinbe n e set ort 7 r T nd a d, th -pre e red irom of theod vice is ,that ,of the ,nestedand-separated basw ke -lai' membersofrmeshwo which se :peciall-y well .ladapt'ed tor the mining of rel-v Ifativelywlarge yolumes {of milk orfjthe like,

.whieh are delivered to. he m xe hea y s reams imm he nt ne s, in wichrasethe mik passes not only through the bottoms of the members, butalso through the meshwork sides, in which the crisscross meshworkeffects the uniform mixture or distribution of the in gredients of themilk. Should the grids or meshw'ork be made flat, it is deemed necessaryto make them of a size to fit the interiior .of the receiving vessel, asotherwise portions of the milk would fiow down the side wallsot thevessel, without any proper mix- 'ing operatiom so that the wholebody ofmilk would be mixed only in part and samples laken therefrom would notgive a proper indication of the butter fat content. The fiat grids ormeshwork sections, which accurately fit" ithin, the container and arespaced.

a part vertically, may be effective in uniform- -ly-mixing relativelysmall volumes of milk ,or similar liquids, and, when so constructed, theindividual elements are separately removable from the vessel orcontainerto perinit cleansing and sterilization, as in the ol thebasket-like members.

What I claim is:

1. device for effecting a substantially uniform admixture of theingredients of milk or .the'like, comprising a plurality of sets ofimpact surfaces, each set comprising a multiplicity of intersectingbarsjseparated by interspaces, the sets being arranged in superposedspaced .relation. o

2. Adevice for efi'ecting ,a substantially uniform admixture of theingredients of case milk or the like, comprising a plurality of sets ofimpact surfaces, each Sl Q0lI 1pllS1I1g milk or the like, comprisingsuperposed spaQGd,-meshworks of bars hayingdeflecting top surfaces. thebars of. each-meshwork beingdisposed angularly with respectitolt he barsoi -the adjacent meshwork.

5. A device, foreffecti g a substantially uniform admixture ,of theingredients of milkor the like, Qmprisingnested .andisepa- 1 ratedbasket-like.niembersfof ineshwork'iyith ,thejmeshes of one member crisscrossing the meshes of the admoent .Inemher.

,6. A, device for efiect 'nge substantially uniform admixture lof theingredienffi of i k th i e, e mpn s i s an fencer bask ik m s e 9f r d"ii es r .l ari m a s e se ed is tlw' masher as.

like member of rigid meshwork having suspension hooks at its corners,and an inner member of similar shape and smaller dimeni sions havinghooks on its cornersto engage the rim of the outer-member and suspendthe inner member in spaced relation Within the outer member, themeshwork of the respective members being disposed in crisscrossrelation. e

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

WILLIAM L. i RICKARD.

